Conveyor ovens that use impingement air are known for the cooking of various products, including bakery products, pizza and various other food products. Typical conveyor ovens using impingement air are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,340, 4,873,107 and 5,832,812. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,340 discloses a conveyor oven that includes three cooking zones serially arranged along the conveyor path. The two end zones apply jets of heated impingement air to food products carried on the conveyor. The middle zone applies jets of steam to the food products. The middle zone requires a separate steam delivery system that is entirely independent of the air impingement assemblies for the end zones. The separate steam delivery system requires a steam generator and a large number of steam delivery tubes. The separate steam system adds cost to the conveyor oven.
There is a need for an economic conveyor oven that cooks food products with both moisture and heated impingement air.